Testing the Water
by headcanonftwAO3
Summary: My first fanfic! After two years, Dee and Ryo have lost that spark that made their bond so special. In an attempt to return it to the way it used to be, they take a vacation, but they still have trouble finding the spark. Will their love last? Lime
1. Beginning of the End

Hello friends! I have never written a fanfic before, so I hope I'm not too lame! It'll probably be short, but I hope you all enjoy it!

WARNING: For the morons who decided to read FAKE fanfics w/o knowing what FAKE was, this is going to be a VERY yaoi story, so if that freaks you out get your asses off this section.

DISCLAIMER: FAKE itself belongs to Sanami Matoh, so don't sue me if you don't like what you read.

Ryo MacLean woke up that morning to the usual: dragging Bikky out of bed, giving him breakfast and lunch money, and sending him to school, then showering, dressing, and heading off to work.

Ryo worked at the 27th precinct as a detective with Dee Laytner—not only his partner at work, but in life as well. Ryo had just accepted that he was gay shortly before meeting Dee, who ended up making all of his wildest dreams and fantasies real. They had been together for about a year now, and everything had been going great—that is, until recently. For some reason, they had kind of…lost their spark, in spite of sounding cliché.

Ryo had been wrapped up in Bikky and Carol, and he and Dee had been getting such an onslaught of cases that they never had any time together. And then, once they finally got time together, they never wanted to do anything. They had become such homebodies that they never wanted to do anything but stay in—and not in the good way.

Dee was very spontaneous, so much so that he tended to act purely on instinct and not care about the consequences, and Ryo was afraid that if he wasn't lively enough Dee might lose interest in him and seek someone new who shared his spontaneity. This fear had always been present, even before their fire began to dim, but Ryo knew somewhere in his self-doubting mind that Dee loved him too much to give him up—he was just afraid that love might not be enough.

Dee sat at his desk, sifting through papers and half-heartedly scrolling through case files on his computer. He didn't know what he was looking at anyway—Ryo usually took care of that aspect of the job. The paperwork was his thing too, but the chief had gotten on his case about not doing his own work and had taken to stopping by during the course of the day to check up on him.

Dee hated this part of being a cop. He didn't want to write down everything he did (since most of it wasn't standard anyway). He wanted to catch criminals and make them pay for whatever they'd done. Ryo could negotiate his way through anything, but talking was not Dee's forte. If he couldn't shoot, punch, kick, or in any other way harm who he was dealing with, he wasn't all that interested.

This morning, however, the badger's (aka the chief's) meddling in the way he did (or didn't) do his job wasn't the main thing on his mind—Dee hadn't gotten any from Ryo in a month.

_No, wait…_ Dee counted the length of time in his fingers. _OVER a month! That cad!_ Dee was impulsive, but Ryo was cautious. They'd been together for a while, and yet he was still uncomfortable around him. No matter what Dee did for him (or to him) Ryo was always just…Ryo.

Dee threw his stapler across the room in frustration. It hit the door with a loud bang moments before Chief Smith barged into his and Ryo's office.

"What the hell was that!" he fumed.

"An earthquake," Dee said nonchalantly while slumping down into his chair.

The chief tossed Dee his stapler and sat in Ryo's chair, which annoyed Dee to no end for some reason. "Dee, what has been up with you lately? Drake and Ted keep asking me if I know anything, and JJ came to me crying because you had literally kicked him out of your office and told him he had better stay out for good or else he'd get his ass kicked even harder."

"I tell JJ that daily, why does it offend him now?" Dee asked, not really expecting an answer.

"We're all worried about you, Dee. You have been acting like yourself lately. Even I'm worried about you, although I don't know the hell why."

He moved the chair so he was looking straight at Dee. Dee looked back at him and saw genuine concern on the chief's face, something he couldn't remember having seen before.

"Is it something to do with Ryo?"

Dee turned back to his computer screen. Genuine concern or not, that was none of his damn business. If Ryo wanted to spew about their love life—or lack thereof—then fine, let him; but he wasn't about to spill his guts to the chief, no matter the consequences.

Chief Smith sighed. "All right," he said, "don't tell me. But if whatever this is gets in the way of either of your jobs you're gonna tell me whether you want to or not." He got up to leave, but stopped and turned when he reached the door. "If you two need some time off…you know, to sort things out…just let me know. I'll see what I can arrange." He left.

Dee sat there pondering the chief's words for a while. _If you two need some time off…you know, to sort things out…just let me know. I'll see what I can arrange._ Dee had never heard the chief be…nice before—and he wasn't sure he liked the thought of it.

Ryo entered the station and it seemed like everyone was being overly cautious around him. Dee had probably been acting strangely around everyone, like he always did when he was in a bad mood. He wondered whether he should go talk to the chief before braving the office he and Dee shared, but he headed to the office anyway.

He saw Dee pretending to do some paperwork at his desk and smiled. Dee loved his job, but paperwork was a pain for him. Ryo walked over to him and stole the top half of the pile from the desk.

"I'll do this part, and you can do the rest, okay?" he said, trying to sound cheerful so that Dee might follow suit.

He didn't bite. "Nah, that's all right. I can handle it." Dee took the papers back and let them fall haphazardly on the rest of the stack. "Nothing else to do anyway."

Ryo frowned. Dee was definitely having a bad day. "What's up with you?"

Dee sighed. "Honestly?" he asked, as if he wasn't sure whether to tell Ryo what was actually bothering him.

Ryo nodded.

"We haven't had any action for over a month. I've barely even _seen_ you in that time, let alone been able to push you down. There's just…nothing there anymore."

Ryo's heart sank. His worst fear had been realized—Dee had gotten bored with his monotonous way of life, and was trying to find a way to put that spark back in their relationship before it fell apart.

"Come on Dee, is it really that bad?" he asked, afraid that Dee might answer "yes" and break off the entire thing.

"It's not, I guess," Dee said hurriedly, obviously sensing Ryo's discomfort. "And it's not you, Ryo, it's the job—I mean, we've barely had time to sleep, let alone fuck, so it's not like it's either of our fault. I'm just worried that you don't think I'm as great as you thought I was and you'll find someone new."

Ryo wasn't sure whether he should cry or laugh. Everything he had been afraid of had been realized by Dee, but Dee thought it about him! _Talk about irony_, he thought.

"Dee." He pulled Dee into a loving embrace, hoping Dee would realize how wrong he was. "I don't think anything like that. To be honest, I thought you were thinking that about me."

"What?" Dee said in astonishment. "How could I ever think that about you? You're the best person I've ever been with."

Ryo was amazed that Dee could make such a statement, but he didn't mention it.

"Seriously! I've been with lots of guys, and—while they were all fuckin' hot!—none of them made me feel the way you do. You are the first person to ever make me feel that way—and the only one who ever will."

Though there was a lump in Ryo's throat, he pressed on. "How did we get here, Dee? How did we become one of those couples that has to constantly remind each other how much we care?" He lowered his head into Dee's shoulder, smelling his cologne and the faint scent of tobacco that always lingered about him.

"Every couple gets there," Dee said, stroking Ryo's soft brown hair. "And the strong ones get through it."

"Are we that strong?" Ryo asked quietly.

"If you're willing to stick by me, I think we can be."

Ryo looked up into his deep green eyes. They seemed to hold all the answers, no matter what the problem was. He smiled.

"The badger just offered you and me some time off. Why don't we take him up on that? We can go on vacation, get away from the job, and the apes—it'll just be you and me." Dee smiled.

Ryo smiled back. "Sounds like a plan."

Dee kissed him, gently at first, then passionately, aggressively. When the broke apart Dee whispered, "I'll go talk to the badger, see how soon we can take advantage of that time off."

"Great," Ryo said softly. They kissed again, and Ryo could almost feel the spark return to their relationship.

Yay! It all seems good so far…but will it last? Find out it the next EXCITING chapter!


	2. Paradise Found?

Chapter 2: Paradise Found?

Same warnings and disclaimers apply. Yaoi soon!

Last time:

"_The badger just offered you and me some time off. Why don't we take him up on that? We can go on vacation, get away from the job, and the apes—it'll just be you and me." Dee smiled._

_Ryo smiled back. "Sounds like a plan."_

_Dee kissed him, gently at first, then passionately, aggressively. When the broke apart Dee whispered, "I'll go talk to the badger, see how soon we can take advantage of that time off."_

"_Great," Ryo said softly. They kissed again, and Ryo could almost feel the spark return to their relationship._

Ryo sat in the passenger seat of the beat up old car that Dee had borrowed from the precinct. It was a retired cop car, so it had seen its share of action, and the miles had become apparent, seeing as the damn thing had broken down once already and gotten a flat tire. Ryo looked over at Dee, who hadn't said anything since fixing the tire, and could see he was angry. Ryo sighed softly, getting a feeling that their vacation was getting off to a bad start.

Ryo saw a rest stop and mentioned to Dee that it might be nice to pull over and chill for a while. Dee complied, but he didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.

After having a cup of coffee that tasted like heated tobacco chewers' spit, Ryo knew that the vacation was going to be a flop.

"You know what sucks?" Dee asked suddenly. "We've finally managed to get some time off and all we've done is drive and drink something that is supposed to resemble coffee." He shook his head.

"Well," said Ryo, trying to keep a cheerful outlook, "we _are_ only about twenty miles from the inn, right? All we have to do is save out energy until we get there. Then this vacation can get interesting." He smiled.

A hint of a smirk played on Dee's lips. "I'm surprised to hear _you_ talking dirty, Ryo. That's usually my job."

"Keep it," Ryo said, feeling their normal playfulness begin to take hold. "It's a harder job than it seems."

When their food arrived and they realized it looked like it had been scraped off the side of a freeway, they decided to skip the bill and just head out. As they reached the open roads leading to their hotel, Ryo felt Dee hit the accelerator and had to smile. At least now Dee was feeling as enthusiastic as Ryo should have.

_This is going to be so awesome,_ Dee thought, as he gunned the engine even harder on the 45 mph streets. _We'll finally be alone—no nosy coworkers, no meddling house apes, no badger breathing down our necks…this is going to be the perfect vacation._

He turned a sharp corner and saw the glittering lights of their inn in the distance. He hit the gas pedal violently in an attempt to reach the haven as soon as humanly possible. The car skidded to a stop in the nearest parking spot and Dee leaped out of the car and practically ran to the reservations desk.

"Hey, uh, one-bed room, under the name 'Laytner'," he panted.

"All right, Mr. Laytner," the desk clerk said in a stereotypically gay voice. "Here are your keys, just let me know if you need another one, but try not to lose it, and your room is number…" he consulted the computer for a moment. "Ah! There you are! Number 256. Would you like me to show you to your room, sir?"

Dee looked at the desk clerk dismally. Why was it only the _lamest_ of all gay men had to be the ones to hit on him?

"Sure! Which room are we in?" Ryo came in at the perfect moment to save Dee from the desk freak.

"Oh…" The clerk was obviously disappointed.

_Like he would've gotten any going about it that way anyway, _Dee thought.

The clerk led Dee and Ryo to their room, carrying both their bags. He deposited them inside, told them breakfast was served from eight to eleven in the morning, then hurried back to his post at the front desk.

_Lame-brain,_ Dee thought as he dragged his own bag to his side of the bed. He waved his arm courteously to Ryo, but had an evil grin plastered on his face. "Shall we?"

Ryo unpacked a few of his things and folded them on top of the dresser.

_What a room…_ He marveled at the beauty of their hotel room—the smell of lemony cleaning products, the huge bay windows, the enormous king-size bed…this room was an absolute dream! As long as Dee was in the bathroom, Ryo knew he had time to look around at everything. He found a kitchenette that was almost as big as the kitchen at his apartment, a closet full of huge, fluffy white towels, scented shampoos and soaps, even some incense near the back of the closet.

He returned to his suitcase, where he found the carefully bound Ziploc bag that contained his own shampoo and soap.

_I wonder if I could snag some of that stuff before we leave…_

"Whatever you're doing it's time to stop."

Ryo turned and saw Dee leaning against the wall near the bathroom. He was grinning that evil grin he only got when he was ready to go—and not ready to take "no" for an answer.

Dee began walking slowly towards him, taking long, sultry strides that accentuated his perfect hips beneath tight, black jeans. His sock feet made no noise as he came closer…closer…

Just watching him stalk toward him made Ryo numb, and, though it took about a second and a half really, Ryo could have watched him forever. Dee finally reached him and wrapped his arms around Ryo's waist. Ryo could have melted.

"Now, let's pick up where we left off so long ago…"

His lips brushed Ryo's, softly, lightly, then took hold of them powerfully yet tenderly. As his tongue snaked into Ryo's mouth, Ryo felt his jeans began to tighten at the groin, and Dee began to slowly lean him backward onto their huge bed.

Once he was lying down, Dee leaning over him sensually, Ryo could feel Dee's hands begin to roam, though his lips never left Ryo's. Ryo stifled a moan as Dee's wandering hands found his belt and began to undo it skillfully. After some struggling, Ryo felt his jeans fall off the bed to the floor, as Dee began the descent through the buttons on his shirt.

_I'd almost forgotten…_ Ryo thought. He reached out and began working Dee's shirt off as well, then tried at his jeans without much success.

Dee released his furious kiss and took his jeans off himself, kicking off his socks as he went. Now there was nothing but the thin cloth of their boxers in the way of the recreation of their spark. Ryo felt Dee begin to slowly edge Ryo's boxers down his own slender hips. Though Ryo was just as excited as Dee was, it still didn't feel like it used to. He didn't know what it was, but for some reason it just wasn't the same.

_Oh God…why doesn't this feel right?_

He had no idea that same question was on Dee's mind too.

Uh, oh! Trouble ahead! Lotsa drama coming, but…hah! Fooled ya! You thought I was gonna give it away, huh? Nya ha! Sorry—please read and review (is that what R&R stands for? BRAINSTORM!)


	3. Nothing's Fair in Love and War

Chapter 3: Nothing's fair in Love and War

See warnings and disclosures in Chapter 1. This is going to be my favorite chapter!

Last time:

_Dee released his furious kiss and took his jeans off himself, kicking off his socks as he went. Now there was nothing but the thin cloth of their boxers in the way of the recreation of their spark. Ryo felt Dee begin to slowly edge Ryo's boxers down his own slender hips. Though Ryo was just as excited as Dee was, it still didn't feel like it used to. He didn't know what it was, but for some reason it just wasn't the same. _

Oh God…why doesn't this feel right?

_He had no idea that same question was on Dee's mind too._

Ryo lay beneath the sheets of the huge king-size bed wrapped in Dee's slack yet firm grasp. He could feel the other man's chest moving up and down with his rhythmic breathing.

Ryo knew he should be asleep just like Dee, but he couldn't help lying there wondering what could possibly be wrong with their relationship. Dee had never performed better than he had last night (excluding the first time they'd made love), and yet Ryo knew that it just wasn't right. He couldn't quite place it, but there was just something in the way they behaved around each other that wasn't the same.

It just didn't seem right.

_But what is it?_ Ryo asked himself the same question he had all night, but the answer still eluded him. It just seemed like maybe he and Dee just…weren't built to last.

He shuddered at the thought of losing Dee. A sudden burst of knowing flashed before Ryo's eyes like a premonition—he saw Dee walking down the street with some other man, while Ryo sat in his bedroom and watched through the window…suddenly he could hear what the two men were saying, just as clearly as if he were standing right beside them:

"I love you," said Dee to the other man. "I'll never lose you to another guy."

Those were the words Dee had whispered to him during their first night as a real couple. Ryo shook the "premonition" off, tried to regain his grip on reality before he went mad with jealousy over some man that didn't exist. He felt cold sweat dripping down his face, but, when he tried to wipe it away, he realized it wasn't sweat—it was tears.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" Dee's deep voice reached Ryo's ears. He looked up into the other man's face; into his beautiful emerald eyes…sometimes it was hard to believe he was a year younger than Ryo. A certain warmth filled Ryo's heart, but there was a tiny hint of anger, sadness…and something he couldn't quite place…

"I haven't slept yet," Dee said nonchalantly, as if he was just trying to make conversation. He looked around the room, and seemed to become slightly nervous—although his breathing never lost its rhythm.

Ryo opened his mouth a few times in an attempt to ask Dee about how he felt—or, rather, about he didn't feel—but nothing came out, so he kept it shut and stared at the rumpled sheets.

Finally Dee voiced what Ryo was trying so hard to spit out: "Why is it nothing feels the same anymore?"

Ryo looked up in mixed shock and relief. "H-how do you mean?"

"Well…I don't know, it just seems like we don't act the same anymore. It's as if we've just settled into our own lives so much that we can't do anything out of the ordinary anymore." He shifted, as if he could feel the discomfort settling in the room around them. "I don't know what I mean. Never mind."

"I feel the same way," Ryo said after a long silence. "Except I'm afraid that it's my fault, and you're going to leave if you aren't…" He searched for the word he needed. "…if you're not satisfied with me."

"WHAT!" Dee shouted, jumping in the bed, but not letting Ryo out of his grip. "Why would you think that? I told you before, Ryo: I'll never lose you to another guy. Or to anything else for that matter! He stared straight into Ryo's pitch black eyes, searching desperately for some hint that the end wasn't nearing. "I love you, Ryo. More than anything else in the entire world—more than life itself!"

Ryo felt numb—why was Dee saying all this _now_, after their night of confusion? He should have said it before they fucked for the sake of it…before the senselessness, and the fear…before the doubt!

His mouth was dry, his hands were shaking, and he felt like he might scream if he stayed in Dee's embrace a moment longer. He shoved Dee away from his body, ignoring the hurt look in his green eyes. Ryo found his boxers and pants and pulled them on hastily, then walked quickly to the restroom.

"Hey!" Dee shouted as he stood and tried to wrench his own jeans on over his sweaty body. "What the hell, Ryo! We're not finished here!"

"I am!" Ryo shouted through the wall, his voice echoing in the cavernous bathroom. "I'm tired of all the misunderstandings and doubts and everything! I'm done!"

Dee felt his entire body freeze. He couldn't move, couldn't think.

_I'm done!_

_He couldn't mean…no he won't…_ His mind wouldn't form complete thoughts, just random pieces of cognation passing through empty space. Nothing made sense now...nothing was right…Ryo was drifting away, and there was nothing he could do to keep him.

"W-wha…" He couldn't speak, couldn't think. "No…n-no…" It was all he could say…

…and it was only a whisper above the roar.

_Ryo!_ he wanted to scream. _Don't leave me! I'll stop trying to push you down! I'll try harder if that's what you want! Just say the word—I'd die for you Ryo, but don't kill me! I need you! Without you, I…I…_

Even his distraught mind couldn't grasp what he wanted to say—that he would die for Ryo…and would die without his love.

: whenever I refer to their "first time", I'm referring to what happened in Volume 7, Second Chance. I consider that their first time, since they were honest with each other beforehand, and they were a "couple" then.

Aahh, our poor heroes! Sorry about all the crazy cliffhangers—I run out of time and energy doing this stuff! R&R, and all that jazz…you know the drill!


	4. Heartbreak and Hardship

Hello everyone! I'm SOOO sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I've been busy with random stuff…you know how it is… But the point is I'm here now and I've got a great chapter for you. Enjoy!

Same warnings and disclaimers apply.

Chapter 4: Heartbreak and Hardship

* * *

Last time:

"_I'm tired of all the misunderstandings and doubts and everything! I'm done!"_

_Dee felt his entire body freeze. He couldn't move, couldn't think._

I'm done!

He couldn't mean…no he won't… _His mind wouldn't form complete thoughts, just random pieces of cognition passing through empty space. Nothing made sense now...nothing was right…Ryo was drifting away, and there was nothing he could do to keep him._

"_W-wha…" He couldn't speak, couldn't think. "No…n-no…" It was all he could say…_

…_but it was only a whisper above the roar._

Ryo! _he wanted to scream. _Don't leave me! I'll stop trying to push you down! I'll try harder if that's what you want! Just say the word—I'd die for you Ryo, but don't kill me! I need you! Without you, I…I…

_Even his distraught mind couldn't grasp what he wanted to say—that he would die for Ryo…and would die without his love._

Ryo sat at the foot of the toilet in the hotel room he and Dee had checked into only hours before—wait, hours? Or was it days? How much time had passed since their arrival? It didn't matter now anyway; Ryo had ruined it. Everything he had tried so hard to keep and hold dear was gone, and it was all because of him.

_I didn't mean it, Dee,_ he thought, tears streaming down his heated face. _Come and break down the door like you normally would…throw me down and kiss me so I can't protest, like you used to. I need you Dee. I'm not strong enough now that I found you."_

But he knew Dee wasn't coming. If this was going to be resolved, it would have to be he who ruined it who had to fix it, and that was Ryo. But he was afraid…afraid he would emerge from the bathroom to find an empty room and missing car. There would be a note on the bed from Dee, where he would tell Ryo that he was fed up with him and he was heading out with the hotel desk clerk. Ryo sobbed more heavily into his folded arms.

What do I do? Whenever something went wrong I would always go to Dee, and he would always find out a way to make it better. Who can I go to now that Dee isn't an option? 

Ryo heard rustling in the rest of the room and realized with joy and fear that Dee was still there. He felt better knowing he hadn't left, but was still afraid of what Dee might do or say if Ryo tried to take it all back. Would he take him back and just say "no harm, no fowl" and let them go on? Or would he reject him and throw him into the street?

He gathered all his courage and stood up from the tile floor. The waistband of his jeans had been cutting into his skin, and he rubbed at his raw flesh as he exited the bathroom.

Ryo saw Dee still siting on the bed. The rustling he'd heard had been Dee putting his boxers back on, which were all he had on now. He sat at the edge of the king-size bed with his head in his palms. Ryo's stomach gave a sickening lurch as he realized that Dee Laytner, the man he had always revered as the bravest man he'd ever met, was crying.

_

* * *

What am I going to do without him? Dee asked himself. He and Ryo had fought before, but it was usually because one of them tried to say something and chose the incorrect words to express their thoughts. But never, ever had they fought to this magnitude. And Ryo had never yelled at him like that before._

Dee had never felt so lost. He had been betrayed by people he trusted, left to fend for himself while he vulnerable, and had been born holding the short end of the stick. But in the end, he always had somewhere to go back to—whether it was the orphanage and mother or the precinct and detective work. But now, at this very moment, he didn't feel as though he could face the rest of the world. The thought of returning to work at the end of the week and trying to play Ryo off as a "heartless bitch who didn't know what he was missing" like he had with all his other breakups made him feel physically ill.

He buried his face deeper into his hands. He didn't want the judgmental dresser or the disappointed TV to see his ugly mug. What was he without Ryo? A bisexual, overconfident playboy who thought of nothing but sex. That's all he was, and all he ever would be without Ryo.

"Dee…"

Dee picked up Ryo's soft, beautiful voice and looked up instantly. Was he coming back to him? Was he willing to forgive Dee for not being man enough to keep him happy? He was so relieved to see Ryo standing there, possibly to forgive him, that he forgot all about wiping the tears from his reddened face.

"I…" Ryo seemed to be having trouble speaking, as though his throat was so dry it was restraining his voice. "I'm sorry…"

Ryo kept talking, explaining what he actually meant by what he said or something, but Dee had stopped listening. Ryo was apologizing, which meant he didn't want them to split up! It meant that he still had Ryo! He stood from the bed and ran to Ryo, holding him as close to him as he could without crushing him. Before he could stop himself, before he even tried, he was sobbing into Ryo's bare shoulder.

"Oh Ryo…" he wept, squeezing Ryo tighter. "Don't apologize to me. I'm the one that was wrong, I'm the one who screwed everything up. Stop taking it on yourself when it's not your fault. I love you, Ryo, more than anything, and no matter what I'll always be willing to work things out for you. I love you…I love you…" He kept repeating it, like a spell, as though he thought it would seal them together forever.

Ryo held him around the chest, gripping him as tightly as Dee. "I love you too, Dee," he whispered into Dee's ear. "And no matter what happens, I'll be with you forever."

They stood there in each other's arms for most of the night, Dee continuing to cry as though he didn't care about maintaining his "image" anymore, Ryo holding Dee as he'd never held him before, both feeling safe in a way they hadn't felt in months.

Good Night…

* * *

I hope this was enough to satisfy your fanfic needs! If you still want MORE, look for an all-new FAKE fanfic which is up now(completely different story, no connection to this one). Also, if you're a Sailor Moon fan, I've got the first chapter of a Sailor Moon fanfic up on the site.

I know this seems really short, but for right now I'm completely happy with where it ended up. That doesn't mean I won't add on later, just that it can end for a while without me worrying about my fans' mental states. Speaking of which, for the fans:

Shinimegami7—thank YOU for being a loyal fan of "Testing the Water". I owe a lot of my inspiration to you and your story. You using Duet in your fanfic "Fake Smile" gave me confidence to go further with this story, and the push I needed to get the SM one finally up. Thanks!

Kitty in the Box—I'm glad my style works for you. I hope analyzing doesn't make your head hurt! (someone told me that once in a private email…sniff)

Goddess Iris—I too have grown tired of that storyline, G.I. I've got a special place in my heart for stories that always have a happy ending, so I hope this isn't too corny for you. Thank you for your ALWAYS long and detailed reviews—they were a HUGE help in forming this story!

Ryu Sakuma—er, pika pika? Isn't that a Pokémon noise? And what does "glomp" mean? As you can see, Dee is "shiny" again…but who knows how things will go? O.o

Xelena—I agree! I think Ryo and Dee belong together too! But what kind of story would it be if there wasn't a little heartbreak?

firgodes7—sorry about the shortness. I'm pretty cut and dry a lot of the time, so I cut out a lot of details that I don't think need to be there.

Jollyolly—hehehe…I like that word…"irked". Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

GreenEyedFloozy—Ryo's good, G.E.F., he just gets frustrated easily! (so would you if feelings other than just horniness overtook your senses around DEE LAYTNER)

Asian Anime Freak—I'm cruel…?

Amazoness of Light—glad you think it's great. I love yaoi…it's THE highest form of manga, in my opinion…

Neko Kate-chan—I wrote, and it's here. Don't forget to review!

KawaiiYasha—we authors don't enjoy torturing you…we just run out of fresh ideas (and caffeine) ;p

ozumas girl—theyARE a cute couple aren't they?

ExcelExcel—thanks…for…the…compliment. It thought it was a cool premise, too.


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